Let's compare this to the moving company cost per hour. How much do movers cost per hour? On average, the cost starts between $80 and $100 per hour, according to Consumer Affairs. You also need to consider whether you would do a self-move versus a full-service move. With a full-service move, the professional movers pack up your belongings in addition to transporting them. 

With a self-move, you do everything yourself. But there's also the option of doing something in the middle — by packing your own belongings, but skipping renting a moving truck and letting the professional movers transport them from your old home to your new one. This will help you save some money while still taking advantage of the benefits of hiring movers. 

Hidden and Unexpected Costs of DIY Moving

The upfront costs of DIY moving are only the beginning. There are also a variety of hidden costs of DIY moves that you won’t see coming that push the total cost even higher. Some DIY moving costs you might not consider include:

• Fuel and mileage overages on the moving truck
• Insurance coverage to protect your belongings
• The cost of failing to purchase insurance coverage and having to replace belongings
• Injuries or accidents to you or those helping you move
• Damage to furniture and appliances that you then must repair or replace
• Damage to the home you’re leaving that needs to be repaired
• Damage to the home you’re moving into that you need to be prepared for
• Last-minute equipment needs like dollies and extra boxes
• Lost time from work to pack and move

While all of these may not happen to you, the hidden cost of DIY moves can add up much faster than you think. When you consider these costs, the cost of a full-service move becomes far more reasonable. You're already paying for packing supplies, the cost to replace damaged items, and the equipment to move everything, including multiple days with a moving truck. Why not let the pros carefully pack your belongings and move them for you with their professional packing and crating services? 

Pros and Cons of DIY Moving 

When deciding whether hiring professional movers or doing a DIY move is right for you, it’s helpful to compare the pros and cons. Let’s examine the pros and cons of a DIY move.

Pros

• Complete control over when you move and how long it takes, letting you work at your own pace
• Flexibility in timing, allowing you to work around your job's schedule or other events
• Potentially cheaper for small moves that don’t require multiple loads or extensive supplies

Cons

• Time-consuming, especially if you have limited help
• Physically demanding to do the heavy lifting for large appliances and tons of heavy boxes
• Stressful logistics include deciding when to rent the truck, how many boxes you need, how best to pack, etc.
• Higher risk of damage to your belongings, and particularly to tough-to-move items like appliances, pianos, or heavy furniture
• Liability is on you if someone who is helping you move gets injured
• The need to drive a moving truck, which can be very difficult if you aren't experienced or if you're navigating narrow streets.
• Multiple trips in a rental truck, which is especially challenging for a long-distance move
• If you have steep stairs to navigate or are moving in the heat of the summer or during an icy winter, additional safety concerns could add to the risk of relying on friends and family for physical labor.
• When you run out of packing materials like boxes and bubble wrap in the middle of your move, you'll need to go get more before you can continue, delaying the process.

While there are a few pros to choosing a self-move vs. full-service move, there are also many cons.

Pros and Cons of Hiring Professional Movers 

Now, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of hiring movers and how it can simplify the entire moving process.

Pros

• A professional moving company will offer greater speed and efficiency, letting you get your move done more quickly.
• Trained professionals know how to handle and move your expensive belongings, challenging appliances, or bulky items safely.
• Equipment and truck are included in the cost, so you won’t pay any extra expenses.
• Moving insurance and protection are included, so you aren’t liable if someone is injured.
• Less stress and hassle, as the professionals handle the logistics of your move, so you can focus on everything else.
• If there is a delay between when you leave your old home and move into your new one, most professional moving companies will offer storage or a moving container to help with this.
• Any moving company you hire will be experts at loading and unloading, which means they can pack far more into their truck than you could, speeding up short-distance moves, and they know how to navigate steep stairs and tight corners.

Cons

• Higher upfront cost compared to a self-move
• Less scheduling flexibility during peak times, which may mean changing your own schedule
• May not pack your belongings unless it's included, which will be an additional expense

Looking at the pros and cons of hiring a moving company, it is clear to see that while there are some potential drawbacks, there are many benefits to letting the pros handle your move. A professional moving company will handle the safety considerations for you. They'll make the difficult decisions so you don't have to, such as deciding if it makes more sense to rent a large moving truck to make one trip or a smaller truck to make multiple trips. They'll also handle the physically taxing parts of the move, including lifting heavy items.

The time and effort that hiring movers will save you is important. But another thing to consider is the actual cost of a moving truck vs. professional movers. You'll pay for both based on how long you need them. But professional movers like Muscular Moving Men & Storage work much faster than you're likely able to. 

You may be able to hire movers for a fraction of the cost of renting a truck, because your truck rental might stretch from one or two days to five or six, once you realize how long loading and unloading really takes. In some cases, you may still be paying the moving labor cost to get friends and family or acquaintances to help, whether you're paying them for their work or paying them in food and drinks.

When It Makes Sense to Hire Movers 

If you want to avoid the hassle and dangers of moving yourself, you can hire professional movers for even the simplest or smallest of moves. However, if you’re on the fence, there are a few specific instances when it makes sense to hire pros.

• You’re moving 3+ bedrooms
• You have heavy, fragile, or specialty items, like a piano or a large safe
• Time is limited, and you don’t want to take off work, or you need to move quickly
• You're moving a long distance and need to move many belongings, and don’t want to take multiple trips
• You’re physically unable or injured to lift boxes and other belongings on your own
• You’re moving in/out of an apartment with stairs or tight spaces that are difficult to maneuver 

When a DIY Move Might Work Best 

If you really want to avoid the cost of hiring professional movers, there may be a few instances where a DIY move would be the better choice.

• You’re young, mobile, and have lots of (free) help
• It’s a small, local move within the same city, out of a studio or one-bedroom apartment with no stairs or tight spaces
• You already own packing materials that you can use to save on expenses
• You’re flexible on time and can take it slow, packing little by little until you’re ready to move
• You’ve done it before and know what to expect
• When you're on a particularly tight budget, and plan to skip a rental truck and rely on friends and family with trucks and vans
• Your personal finances are very tight, and you can't afford to pay movers

Final Cost Comparison: What’s the Better Value? 

Now that you know a little more about the real differences between hiring professional movers and moving yourself, it’s time to decide: Is moving yourself cheaper than hiring movers? As we've already covered, it isn't just about the monetary cost. It's also about the value of other things, like your personal wellness, the well-being of your friends and family, and your time. So, which is a better value?

To start, we need to define what “value” really means. “Cheaper” doesn’t always mean better value. While you may pay less to move yourself, there are other costs, like the physical strain, damage to your belongings, or lost time, which you can’t necessarily put a monetary value on. There’s also the risk that you or someone helping you move is injured. In some cases, this could even lead to a lawsuit that could devastate your finances.

When deciding which option is the better value for you, consider the following:

• Investing in movers can protect your things, your body, and your peace of mind.
• "Cheaper" doesn't always mean better value. The value of moving yourself may quickly be reduced when items are damaged, you have to take extra time off work, or your move takes days longer than expected, requiring you to rent a truck for several more days.
• Do you know how to handle the proper equipment you'll need for your move? If you've never driven a large truck before or carried a heavy appliance down steep steps with a dolly, this isn't something you want to learn on the fly.
• Moving yourself is almost always more time-consuming than people think. Often, homeowners don't realize that they'll be making multiple trips back and forth with a moving truck until they're in the middle of those trips, because it's tough to visualize how much space your items will take up once they're in boxes. Additionally, many first-time movers don't realize how long it will take to disassemble and reassemble furniture, sort boxes into the right rooms, and even just how long it takes to pack a U-Haul truck.
• Packed boxes weigh more than you might think. Homeowners often try to pack moving boxes full, leaving them very heavy to lift.

Is moving yourself cheaper than hiring movers? While it may seem that this would be true, the cost of moving yourself is often much higher than you might expect. When you add up the hidden costs, risks, and other factors that go into a DIY move, the costs, stress, and inconvenience quickly climb, outpacing the cost of hiring professional movers.

Don't gamble with your move. Let Muscular Moving Men give you a transparent, upfront quote you can trust.

Is Moving Yourself Cheaper Than Hiring Movers?

Sometimes moving yourself is cheaper. But when you factor in the time it takes, the risk, the physical strain, and the moving supplies that you'll need, not to mention the stress, hiring a professional moving company becomes the clear answer. This is true even if you're planning a local move, but especially if you're making a long-distance move.

The time and effort that go into a DIY move only add to the stress of moving. From finding a new home to handling changing your utilities, paying deposits, taking time off work, and dealing with the many other tasks of moving, the stress adds up faster than you might think. The cost factor of hiring a moving company is important to consider. But the physical and mental load is important as well. When you weigh that load against the cost, moving yourself to save money seems far less worth it.

Ready to find out what your move would really cost with professionals? Contact Muscular Moving Men & Storage today for a free estimate and expert support. Give us a call at (877) 434-8668 to get started with a free quote.